Match screens
Large screens make it a practical choice for watching football with a group.
HashTag Cafe & Restaurant
Al Barsha
HashTag Cafe & Restaurant is an easygoing Al Barsha hangout for Arabic and global comfort food, shisha and drinks. Reviews make it especially appealing for watching football on large screens, playing cards or settling in over dishes such as mixed grill and kebab sandwiches.
Reputation Score
4.2
★★★★☆
2,739 ratings
Source: Google Maps
The Good Stuff
Spacious seating
The roomy layout and easy seating suit groups, weekend visits and longer hangouts.
Arabic dishes
Reviewers specifically praise the mixed grill, lamb kebab, Arabic breakfast and generous Lebanese-style food.
Shisha choice
The menu includes a broad flavour selection, with some reviewers enjoying grape-mint and custom tobacco mixes.
Daily meals
A review highlights a sizable daily meal with soup and salad for AED 57.
Separate areas
Partitioned smoking and non-smoking sections give groups a choice of environment.
Card games
Cards are available, adding an activity beyond eating, drinking and shisha.
Late hours
One evening reviewer noted that the venue closes late, useful for a night-time meet-up.
What to Eat at HashTag Cafe & Restaurant How we choose these items We use AI to find praise and criticism of specific foods and drinks in a selection of Google reviews. For HashTag Cafe & Restaurant, this list is based on 50 reviews, not every review of the restaurant. We still have more reviews to analyze, so the scores may change. The score is positive reviews minus negative reviews. For example, two positive reviews and one negative review give +1. Each review counts once per item; neutral comments do not change the score. A zero score is not a positive recommendation. “Only neutral feedback” means there are no positive or negative votes. “Mixed feedback” means equal numbers of positive and negative votes. The quotes are examples of what people said, not every comment we counted. We use different reviews where we can. We normally show up to 10 foods and 5 drinks with non-negative scores. Items with the same score stay together. If a tied group would go past the limit, that group and the lower non-negative scores go into Honorable mentions. If an overflowing positive top tie would leave the list empty, we show up to 10 items from that tie and keep the rest in Honorable mentions. Foods and drinks with a negative score are under What to Avoid. Use this as a guide to what reviewers liked, not a guarantee that you will like it too.
Foods and drinks mentioned in reviews of HashTag Cafe & Restaurant, ranked by positive reviews minus negative reviews. Zero-score items have no net positive feedback; their labels distinguish neutral-only from mixed feedback.
Food 2
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Pizza Net +3
“Just amazing pizza was just yummy Filipino waitress very sweet as well great service definitely comin back soon”
Positive 4Negative 1
Review excerpts
“Just amazing pizza was just yummy Filipino waitress very sweet as well great service definitely comin back soon”June 2026
“Tasty food and drinks. Pizza was nice, a lot of chicken and cheese inside, really like it. Great that you can smoke shisha inside. Staff is affable”March 2023
-
Mixed grill Net +2
“The food l liked and the drinks as well. The Mix grill is number one for me , advice to try it.”
Positive 2Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The food l liked and the drinks as well. The Mix grill is number one for me , advice to try it.”October 2024
“There are plenty of Arabic food options available and we had the mixed grill which came with lamb chops, kofta and tawook along with garlic sauce and bread. The meat was cooked perfectly and the spicy tomato bread was to die for.”February 2021
Honorable mentions (17)
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Arayees Net +1
“Ate the arayees and chicken shawarma and both the dishes were good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ate the arayees and chicken shawarma and both the dishes were good.”March 2022
-
Chicken shawarma Net +1
“Ate the arayees and chicken shawarma and both the dishes were good.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Ate the arayees and chicken shawarma and both the dishes were good.”March 2022
-
Daily meals Net +1
“And they have great daily offer on section called daily meals in the menu where they have a very good sized meal with soup and Salad only for 57drh.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“And they have great daily offer on section called daily meals in the menu where they have a very good sized meal with soup and Salad only for 57drh.”August 2024
-
Half chicken with roasted vegetables Net +1
“Their kebab sandwich is brutal and their half chicken with roasted vegetables are a classic. We never get tired from having it.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their kebab sandwich is brutal and their half chicken with roasted vegetables are a classic. We never get tired from having it.”December 2025
-
Harira soup Net +1
“MUST TRY Harira soup.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“MUST TRY Harira soup.”December 2019
-
Kebab sandwich Net +1
“Their kebab sandwich is brutal and their half chicken with roasted vegetables are a classic.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their kebab sandwich is brutal and their half chicken with roasted vegetables are a classic.”December 2025
-
Kunafa dessert Net +1
“Nice place to smoke shisha and watch football)) good food, shisha and my favourite lemon-mint drink Also they have kunafa dessert and good cappuccino”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice place to smoke shisha and watch football)) good food, shisha and my favourite lemon-mint drink Also they have kunafa dessert and good cappuccino”March 2023
-
Lamb kebab Net +1
“I love it here!!….the food is so delicious.I had the best lamb kebab ever.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I love it here!!….the food is so delicious.I had the best lamb kebab ever.”March 2023
-
Lamp neck in oven Net +1
“The daily dish is very nice sheshbarak and Lamp neck in oven.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The daily dish is very nice sheshbarak and Lamp neck in oven.”June 2024
-
Lentil soup Net +1
“The lentil soup is super.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The lentil soup is super.”June 2024
-
Manakish Net +1
“Love the shawarma platter and manakish here”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Love the shawarma platter and manakish here”July 2023
-
Meat fatah Net +1
“I enjoyed hot dish called meat fatah. I've never tried it before and I really enjoyed it!”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“I enjoyed hot dish called meat fatah. I've never tried it before and I really enjoyed it!”March 2023
-
Ribeye steak Net +1
“The ribeye steak and pizza were absolutely delicious , cooked perfectly and full of flavor.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The ribeye steak and pizza were absolutely delicious , cooked perfectly and full of flavor.”November 2025
-
Shawarma platter Net +1
“Love the shawarma platter and manakish here”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Love the shawarma platter and manakish here”July 2023
-
Sheshbarak Net +1
“The daily dish is very nice sheshbarak and Lamp neck in oven.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“The daily dish is very nice sheshbarak and Lamp neck in oven.”June 2024
-
Spicy tomato bread Net +1
“There are plenty of Arabic food options available and we had the mixed grill which came with lamb chops, kofta and tawook along with garlic sauce and bread. The meat was cooked perfectly and the spicy tomato bread was to die for.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“There are plenty of Arabic food options available and we had the mixed grill which came with lamb chops, kofta and tawook along with garlic sauce and bread. The meat was cooked perfectly and the spicy tomato bread was to die for.”February 2021
-
Greek salad Net 0
Only neutral feedback
“I visited this Resturant is nice but very very noisy but it’s okay, I try Greek salad was normal than we order kebab tikka each like that called there was have little smell.”
Positive 0Negative 0Neutral 1
Drinks 5
-
Cappuccino Net +1
“Nice place to smoke shisha and watch football)) good food, shisha and my favourite lemon-mint drink Also they have kunafa dessert and good cappuccino”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice place to smoke shisha and watch football)) good food, shisha and my favourite lemon-mint drink Also they have kunafa dessert and good cappuccino”March 2023
-
Lemon-mint drink Net +1
“Nice place to smoke shisha and watch football)) good food, shisha and my favourite lemon-mint drink Also they have kunafa dessert and good cappuccino”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Nice place to smoke shisha and watch football)) good food, shisha and my favourite lemon-mint drink Also they have kunafa dessert and good cappuccino”March 2023
-
Matcha drink Net +1
“Their food is not top of the class for me bit their matcha drink is really tasty! Price is quite high for their little servings. I mean, it’s not like all the other Arabic restaurants with generous servings. But generally it’s okay.”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Their food is not top of the class for me bit their matcha drink is really tasty! Price is quite high for their little servings. I mean, it’s not like all the other Arabic restaurants with generous servings. But generally it’s okay.”February 2023
-
Mint tea Net +1
“We also had a pot of mint tea which was flavourful and had enough for 4 cups”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“We also had a pot of mint tea which was flavourful and had enough for 4 cups”February 2021
-
Moroccan tea Net +1
“Some Amazing Arabic cuisine......and ends with a sweet desert and Moroccan tea. amazing atmosphere and great for a working lunch....”
Positive 1Negative 0
Review excerpts
“Some Amazing Arabic cuisine......and ends with a sweet desert and Moroccan tea. amazing atmosphere and great for a working lunch....”May 2024
What to Avoid (2)
Food 1
-
Kebab tikka Net −1
“I visited this Resturant is nice but very very noisy but it’s okay, I try Greek salad was normal than we order kebab tikka each like that called there was have little smell.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“I visited this Resturant is nice but very very noisy but it’s okay, I try Greek salad was normal than we order kebab tikka each like that called there was have little smell.”July 2025
Drinks 1
-
Avocado juice Net −1
“The food its a bit tasteless to be Middle Eastern,the avocado Juice wasn’t the best either.”
Positive 0Negative 1
Critical review excerpts
“The food its a bit tasteless to be Middle Eastern,the avocado Juice wasn’t the best either.”January 2026
Tips for a Better Visit
Confirm terms. Before a birthday or match booking, ask whether the minimum spend is per person and have the terms confirmed upfront.
Match bookings. For football groups, confirm the booking conditions early; one group cancelled after being told of a AED 100-per-person minimum.
Ask off-menu. If you want Moroccan food, ask about the Moroccan menu because one review says it was not listed on the printed menu.
Choose smoking. If you do not smoke, request the separate non-smoking area; smoking and non-smoking sections are partitioned.
Try mornings. For a quieter working visit, consider morning hours, when one reviewer noted that the music is kept low.
Use parking. Drivers can look for parking in front of the venue on the main road, as noted by a reviewer.
Plan the visit
Practical details
Al Barsha First - Al Barsha - Dubai
Al Barsha First - Al Barsha, Dubai
| Mon | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Tue | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Wed | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
| Thu | 8:00 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Fri | 8:00 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Sat | 8:00 AM – 3:00 AM |
| Sun | 8:00 AM – 2:00 AM |
Common Concerns
Minimum spends
Football and birthday bookings have reportedly introduced per-person minimum spends that some customers only learned about late.
High prices
Several reviews flag steep drink and basic-item prices, including AED 17–18 for a soft drink or Pepsi.
Inconsistent food
Food feedback ranges from delicious grills and pizza to complaints about tasteless dishes, an item in pasta and low-quality pizza.
Noise levels
The venue can become very noisy, particularly when used for sports and group gatherings.
Service concerns
Some recent reviewers describe disorganisation and a manager who handled complaints disrespectfully.
Customer-reported prices
These are customer-reported mentions, not a current price list. Prices may have changed.
18 AED
soft drink
“We were coming to this place because it (was) nice even with the high prices (for example: soft drink 18 AED 😂)”Google review · July 2026
17 aed
small can of Pepsi
“They are now charging 17 aed for a small can of Pepsi”Google review · May 2026
AED 54
regular water and basic black tea with mint
“We were charged AED 54 for just regular water and basic black tea with mint, which felt extremely overpriced for such simple items”Google review · May 2026
DXB
LOCAL
LOCAL
The Bottom Line
HashTag Cafe & Restaurant is a roomy Al Barsha cafe-restaurant built around relaxed, longer visits rather than a quick meal. People come to watch football on screens around the room, smoke shisha, play cards and catch up with friends. The food leans Arabic and Lebanese, with mixed grill, lamb kebab, shawarma platters, manakish and Arabic breakfast all appearing in the reviews.
There are some dependable-sounding favourites: one regular calls the kebab sandwich and half chicken with roasted vegetables classics, while another enjoyed the ribeye steak and pizza. Daily meals have also been noted as generous, including soup and salad for AED 57. Coffee, juices and Moroccan tea round out the drinks side, and the venue has indoor and outdoor shisha options plus a separate non-smoking section.
The main caution is pricing and booking transparency. Reviews mention AED 17–18 soft drinks, AED 54 for regular water and basic mint tea, and minimum spends of AED 100 or AED 200 per person for some match or birthday arrangements. Confirm those conditions before you arrive.
Food, shisha and service reviews are mixed, and the room can get very noisy during busy sports gatherings.